St Barbara’s Church Hall
Rochester Road
Earlsdon
CV5 6AG
admin@stbarbaraspreschool.co.uk
St Barbara's Pre-school
We hope that this booklet will tell you what you need to
know about St Barbara’s Pre-school. If you would like to
ask about anything else or would like to arrange a time to
visit please use the contact number on the front.
How to find us
St Barbara’s Pre-school takes place in St Barbara’s Church hall.
The church is at the crossroads of Rochester Road and
Beechwood Avenue and has ample car parking at the rear.
Contact numbers
The number to use to inform us of illness or
other absence is
07873 137530.
You
can also use this number during sessions to
let us know about changes to normal pick up
routines etc.
The pre-school office number is 07719 480705 for queries
regarding admissions or fees
Session information & Costs
The preschool is open every weekday during TERM TIME. Sessions
are £10.60 each (this figure will increase on the 1st of September
every year) and £2.50 for lunch time care (you will need to
provide lunch). We ask for a £25 non refundable administration
fee upon your confirmation of a place.
Monday - Friday
Lunch Club
9.15am – 12.15pm
12.15pm –pick up 12.45 pm – 1.00pm
Children who are three will receive funding from the term
starting after their third birthday. This funding continues until
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St Barbara's Pre-school
your child starts school. If your child attends any other preschool care facility this funding can be split between two or more
settings. There is funding available for 2 years olds should you
be entitled to this, please ask for further information.
Bills are issued to parents in advance, and should be paid within 7
days. Failure to do this may result in your session’s being
cancelled. Sessions must be paid for even if your child cannot
attend due to sickness or family holidays. Payment can be made
by direct transfer into the bank account. However, we are happy
to take cash or cheque but a charge of 2% will be added to your
bill.
Please contact the pre-school for availability of sessions and for
an application form, either by email or telephone.
If you find that for any reason you no longer want your
child to come to St Barbara’s we ask that you give us at
least ONE MONTHS NOTICE.
Term dates
A listing of all current term dates is available from the preschool
leader at the beginning of each year and also, on request, at any
time.
Is the Pre-School Registered?
The pre-school is registered to provide care for twenty eight
children in each session. It is Ofsted inspected and follows the
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) of the National curriculum.
The last Ofsted inspection was in 2015, and we were rated
“Good”. The inspectors report is available on request.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
St Barbara’s is also a member of the Pre-School Learning Alliance
(PLA).
Who owns the preschool?
The pre-school is run as a Community Interest Company, which means
that any profit will be reinvested into the pre-school. The Board of
Directors are parents who volunteer their time to help manage the
pre-school. Day to day management and the planning of sessions
within the curriculum is the role of Sue Townend, Pre-school leader.
There is also a Pre-school Co-ordinator, Jo Askew who provides the
administrative support.
Who will be looking after my child?
St Barbara’s currently has six members of staff: a pre-school
leader, a deputy, two assistants and a pre-school
helper. The staff have National Vocational
Qualifications in child care. All staff have been
checked with the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Each child has a named key worker who will monitor progress and
ensure that each child is working towards the seven learning goals of
the EYFS. On occasions we also provide training placements for
students.
The pre-school maintains a high ratio of adults to children at all
times and we welcome parent helpers. During each term we have
a Parent Helper week, where parents can come and share skills,
activities, interests and to see what the day-to day life of the
setting is like. If you feel you have any skills which you would like
to share with the setting, please let us know and we can organised
some time for you to come in and share with us.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
How old does my child need to be?
St Barbara’s welcomes children from the age
of two until they go to Primary school. Local
Education Authority funding is available for
Two (special conditions apply), three and four
year olds.
What is the foundation stage?
St Barbara's Pre-school follows the Early Years
Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum framework for all
children. This emphasises the importance of learning
through play and will be continued in the reception
year when they start primary school. The framework
includes seven areas of learning. They are;
 Personal, social and educational development
 Communication and language
 Physical development
 Literacy development
 Mathematics
 Understanding the world
 Expressive arts and design
Parents can find out more about the EYFS at the following
website www.foundationyears.org.uk
What will my child be doing?
St Barbara's Pre-school takes place in a
church hall which gives us plenty of scope
for imaginative play. While the basic layout
will quickly become familiar, the children will
find different things to do each morning.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
Different topics are planned throughout the term and various
activities are offered in line with the curriculum. During each
session there will be time for your child to choose what they
would like to do and also to spend time on more structured
activities in small groups. The children have ‘topic time’ each
morning when they are able to talk about different topics in small
groups. Your child will be able to go outside to play on the ‘big
toys’ in all but the coldest and wettest of weathers.
Snack time
We operate a fruit donation scheme where we ask
for a donation of fresh fruit each day. The children
are offered milk or water at each session. The
children are encouraged to sit together in small
groups while they eat and drink. We aim to use the
opportunity as a social time and also to introduce the
children to a range of different fruits.
What about the year before school?
Your child will be following the required Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS) curriculum at St Barbara’s and we hope that your
child will stay with us until they go to school. As your child gets
older they will be encouraged to follow simple routines
that will be expected of them when they start
primary school. Your key worker will be aware of
your child's strengths and needs and will ensure
that your child continues to be stretched and
motivated to learn, with particular focus on
the six areas of learning
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St Barbara's Pre-school
How much feedback will I get about my child's
progress?
Communication is a two way process. We aim to always be
available to discuss any concerns you may have. Each child will
have their own learning journal, parents are able to look at these
at any time. Alongside this we have a home link diary, used as
communication between the pre-school and home. If you are
concerned about issues regarding your child you should see their
key worker in the first instance. We have parent consultation
meetings during the Autumn Term.
St Barbara’s have a number of documented policies
which are available for parents to look at. Please
ask if you would like to read through them or
discuss any issues with the Pre-school leader.
Regular emails are sent and each child has a hanging
file in the Parents' Box. This is used, in the main,
to distribute the monthly bills. There are notice
boards at each keyworker station which displays information
about what the children will be doing during the week and also
the social opportunities for parents to attend. There is also a
Notice board in the foyer with lots of information on.
What if my Child has Special Educational Needs?
We welcome all children whatever their
individual needs and abilities. We will make
play and learning activities accessible for all
children wherever possible. We are more
than happy to discuss how we can
accommodate any specific needs your child
has.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
What does my child need to bring?
Please do not send your child in their best clothes. Having fun
often means getting messy. Blue sweatshirts and polo shirts with
the St. Barbara’s logo on are available to buy from the preschool. These are optional. Overalls are always
provided for messy activities.
The children go outside every day so they will
need clothing appropriate to the weather; warm
coats, scarves, gloves, hats and wellies if it’s wet
and cold and sun hats in the summer. In the
summer please apply sun cream before your
child attends.
If your child is not dry you will need to provide nappies, wipes and
nappy sacks in a bag labelled with their name. Similarly if you
child is just out of nappies please remember to send them with
some spare clothes.
If your child is staying for lunch you will need to provide this in
suitable named container/bag.
PLEASE make sure that all items are clearly named.
At the start of each term we ask for a donation of a box of
tissues along with hand washing soap (anti bacterial).
What if my child is ill?
If your child is unwell please ring the pre-school
on
07873 137530 to let us know. If your child has
diarrhoea and/or vomiting we ask that you do not send
them back to pre-school for 48 hours. If your child
is unwell while at pre-school we will contact you or
your named contact straight away.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
How can I get involved?
We recognise that parents are the first and most
important educators of their children. We feel,
therefore, that it is imperative that all of the staff
work closely with parents to help all of the children
learn and develop in readiness for the next stage in
their education.
There are lots of different ways you can get involved
in your child's life at pre-school. We hope that all parents will
become members of the pre-school which will allow them to vote
at the AGM and attend the regular meetings and social events
held by the Board of Directors. You may want to become part of
the Board or even stand for election to become a director. Even
if you can only make the occasional event we will value any
contribution you have to make.
Please check the notice board for our ‘wish list’. This includes
items which we are looking for to enhance the life of the preschool – you may be just about to throw out something we need.
We regularly ask for materials for the children to use in craft
activities like empty cereal boxes and cardboard tubes.
Friends of St Barbara’s Pre-school (FOSBP)
FOSBP has been set up to facilitate the building
relationships between parents, carers, staff and
directors and also to fundraise for pre-school.
Monthly coffee mornings take place in the
meeting room in the church hall and there are
also evening socials throughout the year. Please
speak to Kirsty Harrison or Sarah Smith for
further details.
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St Barbara's Pre-school
St Barbara’s Pre-school staff
Pre-school leader
Susan Townend
NVQ3 Child care and education
Child protection officer and Health and Safety coordinator
Deputy Pre-school leader
Rachael Sawbridge
NVQ3 Childcare and education
Equal Opportunities co-ordinator
Pre-school assistants
Claire Warnock
NVQ3 Child care and education
Special Educational Needs coordinator
Tracy Merrett
NVQ3 Child care and education
Pre-school helper
Sarah Chantler
BTEC Level 3 in Childcare
Pre-school co-ordinator
Jo Askew
Directors
Chair Angela Addey
Leanne Whitehouse, Susan Townend, Toby McKechnie
Andy White, Kirsty Harrison & Sarah Smith
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St. Barbara’s Pre-School Community Interest Company registered in
England and Wales
Registration number: 5686167
Registered office: St Barbara’s Church Hall, Rochester Rd, Coventry, CV5 6AG
9 February 2016